While self-service transactions are becoming more prevalent in various industries, their rapid rise among our own customers speaks volumes about how customers find our tools convenient and easy to use.

While we see the future filled with greater self-service tools, you can still choose to speak to our service consultants over the phone. Quite frankly, one of the few barriers to even greater use of our self-service tools is awareness.

So with that in mind, we plan to use one of our newer interactive communication forums to showcase how our easy-to-use, self-service tools can help you save time, improve your efficiency and make it more enjoyable for you to do business with us.

On Thursday, June 2, you’re invited to join our next “Meet the Expert” real-time chat with Pat Smith, our passionate leader of acustomer-focused, self-service team that spans multiple departments.

As we’ve heard from you, the opportunity to quickly check in on your account online, and tweak services with the click of a mouse delivers peace of mind. The convenience of tending to your account at a time and place of your choosing versus speaking to a service consultant on the phone brings about an added sense of comfort.

Based on customer feedback, we’ve continuously expanded and enhanced our self-service tools to enable you to do everything from shopping for bundles of services and video content to paying bills to fixing problems with TV and Internet services – at any time of the day or night.

The format of our next “Meet the Expert” chat will be similar to our most recent session with FiOS TV and entertainment services guru Joe Ambeault. During two, one-hour chat sessions, at 11 a.m. ET and 8 p.m. ET, you can learn more about our enhanced self-service tools, hear about how we’ve tapped our leading innovators to create systems that make for smooth interactions with us, pose questions and offer comments.

More than 500 people joined our last chat with Joe, and feedback was great. By joining our next “Meet the Expert” discussion, you’ll have a unique opportunity to chat with one of our innovative stars who puts customers first and has helped strategically guide our self-service efforts since they began.

We look forward to you joining us June 2, so help spread the word to your friends who may not yet have registered in the Verizon Community Forums.

Verizon Expert Care Product is a SCAM, Misleading and a fraudulent program to take your money!!!

I've been a Verizon customer for many years and had signed up for the Verizon Expert Care program 2.5 years ago. I paid hundreds of dollars into the program as it was sold as an “all inclusive coverage policy” by the Verizon sales reps. Although I've never used it, my Dell Inspiron laptop was damaged a month ago due to a power surge which in turn blew my monitor so I decided to place a claim.

Again, when I first signed up for the program it was sold to me as a full protection plan regardless of the type of damage but then I found out that was not the case. I contacted Verizon Expert care and placed a claim spoke with Erica –{edited for privacy}. Their service provider is Media Medics located in Minn who repairs the damaged equipment. About 2 weeks later, (5/18) I received my laptop back completely unrepaired and in fact, it had a broken front top cover where someone tried to pry open the plastic top.

On 5/18, I called media medics and spoke with their receptionist Sarah, who could not tell me why it was returned and then was very reluctant to provide me with a manager. Finally after I spoke with a manager at Media Medics and was told that the laptop was not repaired due to physical damage to one of my USP ports. This actually was NOT the case as I explained and that particular USB port was damaged years ago when the small inside pin plug came out while I was pulling out a cord. (Actually normal wear and tear for an old laptop.) I informed her that this issue had nothing to do with the monitor as I’ve been using the laptop for years prior to the monitor being damaged…just not that USB port. I was informed that the Verizon made the decision not to repair it and to read the fine print in the policy.

I spent several additional days trying to speak with Verizon. On 5/18 I spoke with a service rep Donna who was actually very helpful and spent an hour with me on the phone. I was promised a call back by end of day by her supervisor Samir Amad ({edited for privacy}) I've contacted him three times and left messages with no return call.

On 5/24, I called again and spoke with another Donna who then put me in contact with Erica again at Verizon Expert Care. I asked to speak with her manager Amber - ({edited for privacy}) who told me to again "read the fine print" in the contract...sorry, nothing I can do. I explained the entire situation to Amber and she was unwilling to help in any way.

The Verizon Expert care Program is a scam - it’s sold as an all-inclusive coverage program and then when you have a legitimate claim, both the Verizon and their repair center, Media-Medics look for ANYTHING possible that they can deny a claim. The fact is, you have coverage so you think you’re covered then only to find out the whole program is a scam, misleading, and unethical.

Manager - Media Relations

Bob stays on top of developments and issues with Verizon’s Consumer and Mass Business segment from his home base in Florida. He has been involved with FiOS since it was first being developed and deployed in 2004.

Manager -- Media Relations

Phil has been extolling the virtues of FiOS ever since he had his Triple Play installed and can’t image how he ever managed without it. He writes about developing technologies that enable him to fuel his addiction to movies and sports whenever he wants, no matter where he is.

Caroline manages the Verizon FiOS Google+ page, capturing the latest in entertainment, technology, sports and everything in between. She loves using social media and the written word to extend the FiOS conversation.